Getting patients out of hospital quicker and empowering them to manage their medications from home are just some of the objectives behind new Tasmanian research.
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Dr Rahul Patel, a senior lecturer in pharmacological science at the University of Tasmania, is leading a team of master's students.
Their goal is to test the stability of medications to be administered intravenously outside of a hospital setting, and the results are quickly translating from '"bench to bedside'" with life-changing benefits for patients.
With many hospitalised patients requiring intravenous medications often over an extended period, Dr Patel said patients often stayed in hospital longer than they would need to if they could manage their treatment themselves, from home.
"We know there are different types of devices that allow intravenous administration of medications at home. But unfortunately the stability, the comparability, for many medications in those devices, and various solutions is unknown," he said.
"If it's unknown, there is a risk of treatment failure. Therefore patients are unfortunately forced to be hospitalised.
"Our research team are investigating the physical and chemical stability of a wide range of medications, in all different types of devices and solutions, to determine which type of medications are appropriate to be administered intravenously, with what sort of devices at home by patients themselves."
The team's work has included testing antibiotics, anti-fungal agents, and is also looking into analgesics such as morphine and antivirals which can assist people living with HIV.
Now they are testing the stability of antibiotics in peritoneal dialysis solutions, which allow patients requiring kidney dialysis to administer their treatment from home rather than in hospital and to continue with everyday tasks during the process.
They aim to resolve realised clinical problems, with quick results already benefiting patients.
"As soon as our results are made widely available to healthcare professionals through a medium of peer-reviewed quality journals, our recommendations are absorbed rather quickly," he said.
"Our hospital policies and guidelines are modified accordingly. This not just in Tasmania, or Australia, but around the world. So the application or the use of our outcomes are rather quick."
Along with helping patients get back to their regular life more quickly, Dr Patel said the research also had the potential to free-up much-needed hospital beds, reduce the rates of hospital-acquired infections and save the healthcare system millions.
"There are multiple impacts to this sort of research," he said.
"Increased hospital stays are associated with a corresponding increased risk of hospital inquired infections. Studies have shown that nearly one in 20 patients will have developed an infection during a hospital stay. So an early discharge means less risk of developing another infection.
"It also means less pressure on hospital and healthcare professionals. In that case, it would allow the allocation of valuable hospital resources to other competing priorities - such as managing complex patients with active health issues, probably requiring close clinical follows by medical staff."
Coming to UTAS as an international student in 2004, Dr Patel said he considers his work as a way of "giving back" for all he has received.
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